The ongoing debate about transgender women in sport has moved into pool – with competitors now banned in the female category.
Ultimate Pool Group (UPG), the professional body for eight-ball pool, have enforced the law change after two transgender women contested the final of the Women’s Pro Series Event earlier this month.
The encounter by Harriet Haynes and Lucy Smith sparked furious protests amid what had also seen legal proceedings brought by female-born players over UPG’s transgender policy.
Haynes defeated Smith 8-6 in the final of the Ultimate Pool Women’s Pro Series Event 2 at Robin Park Leisure Centre in Wigan, but that will now no longer happen in future.
In cohesion with a Supreme Court judgment’s recent ruling, UPG had been undertaking their own review into whether biological males had a natural advantage over females in the sport as defined by the Equality Act.
Their findings found that to be true and have therefore banned trans athletes from competing in female categories.
Trans Harriet Haynes won an Ultimate Pool Women’s Pro Series event in Wigan earlier in April
Haynes beat Lucy Smith – another trans athlete – but that won’t happen any more due to rule changes enforced by Ultimate Pool Group banning non-biological females from competing
UPG said in a statement: ‘UPG today have amended our eligibility rules for the Women’s Series (and all women’s competitions held under UPG). With effect from 23rd April 2025, entry and participation in Ultimate Pool women’s events are open only to biologically born women.
‘We respect that some people within the pool community may find the changes challenging. As an organisation, we are committed to being empathetic to all members of our community and we expect all members of our community to reflect this.’
UPG explained further with a change to its terms and conditions on its website that they had been ‘caught in a vacuum of uncertainty surrounding the issue of eligibility to participate in its women’s series’ before receiving clarity about the situation.
‘Since its inception UPG has been caught in a vacuum of uncertainty surrounding the issue of eligibility to participate in its women’s series. Two recent developments have now made the position clear,’ their updated terms read.
‘UPG obtained an expert’s report upon the question: ‘Was eight-ball pool a gender-affected sport as defined by the Equality Act 2010?’
‘Crucially this report was commissioned to reach a conclusion not only on the question of whether there were biological differences between women born as women and transgender women recognised as women by way of a Gender Recognition Certificate, but also whether any biological differences meant that transgender women had an advantage in the specific sport of eight-ball pool.
‘The clear conclusion of the biological and cue-sports expert who jointly authored the report was that eight-ball pool was a gender-affected sport and that in cue sports female players have unique disadvantages compared to male players and that transgender women retain male advantages.
‘Separately, the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers was handed down on 16 April 2025. In this judgment the Supreme Court ruled that a Gender Recognition Certificate does not change a person’s legal sex for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010.
‘The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) chairwoman Baroness Kishwer Falkner has confirmed that the ruling has brought clarity and that trans women cannot take part in women’s sport and that the EHRC would pursue organisations which do not update their policies. UPG welcomes the clarity which this judgment brings.’
The change should see an end to female-born players’ previous furore – which has also seen Piers Morgan and Sharron Davies wade in to support their annoyance.
Piers Morgan posted on X: ‘Why anyone supports this cheating bulls*** is utterly beyond me’
Former Team GB Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies described the event as ‘b****y ridiculous’
In November 2023, Haynes was handed a walkover victory in the Women’s Champion of Champions final in Prestatyn after opponent Lynne Pinches refused to play, citing fairness concerns.
Pinches later told TalkTV: ‘Whenever you play a transgender player, even if you win, it doesn’t make any difference because in your heart, you know it’s unfair.
‘This is a category advantage, being biologically male and playing against females, gives you a clear category advantage.
‘Every time I play a transgender player, I think about it before, during and after the match, about how unfair it is and how this is a level I can’t reach.
‘I watch some of the shots they play, and I think females don’t play these shots down the rails like this and they don’t clear up like this. They have a longer reach, a lot of them are taller than us.
‘Women have been silenced because of fear of being transphobic, that is why people don’t speak out about this subject. It’s not a gender issue, this is a fairness issue.’
The incident at Prestatyn, which saw Pinches forfeit the match after the opening lag shot, drew international headlines and provoked fierce debate.
Haynes later revealed she was inundated with abuse online, describing it as a ‘cess-pool of awfulness’ and saying: ‘It was unreal… horrific. A lot of vile abuse.’
Haynes, who transitioned over a decade ago, has repeatedly defended her right to compete in the women’s category
Haynes, who transitioned over a decade ago, has repeatedly defended her right to compete in the women’s category.
‘Trans women are not a threat to pool,’ she told the BBC. ‘We’re not coming over in droves… there’s nothing to fear.’
Governing bodies had struggled to settle on a consistent policy. In August 2023, the World Eightball Pool Federation (WEPF) and Ultimate Pool Group issued a statement saying ‘only naturally born women would be eligible’ to compete in the women’s series, but that ruling was later reversed.
The WEPF later clarified: ‘Providing regulatory conditions are met… transgender and non-binary players will be able to participate in the women’s series.’
That U-turn disappointed players like Pinches, but Haynes defended the change, insisting she would step away from women’s pool if there was clear evidence of an unfair advantage: ‘If the rules were changing and there was categoric evidence that I had a massive advantage over someone else, I would stop. But there isn’t.’
The next Women’s Pro Series events will take place in May at the home of Bolton Wanderers.
